The MJC Newsletter: Keep the fires burning | | |
Hello, journalists and journalism supporters.
It’s been a smoky June — and there have been some tough weeks for Minnesota news organizations on multiple fronts. We’re here to try to help keep the journalism fire burning.
Here’s what we’ve stacked up:
- Events, including links to recordings of some recent training
- Job listings
- Great news – and awards – for local journalists
- Readings to make you happy, sad and feed that curiosity
- Our students working around Minnesota this summer
- Upcoming research on the impact of following news organizations on social media
We love to share and can't stop ourselves from adding "just one more thing," so if your email is clipped, click the link at the bottom to read it all.
The MJC is: Ben Toff, director and lead researcher, Gayle (G.G.) Golden, associate director of student educational initiatives, Regina McCombs, associate director of outreach and training and Meg Martin, associate director of pretty much everything.
| | Things have been busy at the MJC this month: | | |
Ben Toff kicks off the symposium. Photo: Pooja Singh
We launched the second in a three-part series of symposia on public opinion polling, on the relationship between journalism and public opinion polling. We’ll be sharing a tip sheet soon, culled from the research and the roomful of scholars and journalists. The series marks the 80th anniversary of the Minnesota Poll, which has catalogued the opinions and perspectives of generations of Minnesotans since 1944. The third symposium is scheduled for September.
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Participants discuss safety concerns. Photo: Pooja Singh
We collaborated with the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Media Foundation to offer in-person digital and physical safety training for newsroom and freelance journalists from across the state. It’s the first in a series of training and resources on safety and security for local journalists – including freelancers – that we’re cooking up.
We’ll be offering more ways to help build a culture of safety across Minnesota newsrooms in the coming months. If you’ve got ideas or areas you’d like us to focus on, email me at martinme@umn.edu.
And we’re looking ahead to summer programming with our nonprofit and community-supported JAM group: A picnic (details soon!), more virtual training and a kickoff to conversations about how to build sustainable content-sharing relationships across the state.
Plus: If you’re planning to be at any of the Minnesota-based industry conferences this summer, we hope to see you! We saw lots of our colleagues at INN Days last week, and we’re looking forward to SRCCON 2025 on July 10-11 in Minneapolis. Let us know if you’ll be there!
| | Interesting events elsewhere | | |
The MJC’s curated calendar of virtual training and events is bursting this summer. Here’s a smattering of opportunities coming up:
Looking for a conference to build your network and hang out with folks with similar interests? Check out one of these coming up:
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National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Chicago, July 9-12
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Asian American Journalists Association, Seattle, July 30-Aug. 3
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National Association of Black Journalists, Cleveland, Aug. 6-10
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Indigenous Media Conference, Albuquerque, Aug. 13-15
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The Association for LGBTQ+ Journalists, Atlanta, Sept. 4-7
And then there’s the Associated Press Sports Editors conference in Minneapolis on June 26-28, plus Online News Association, New Orleans, Sept. 10-13 and the Radically Rural Summit, Keane, N.H., Oct. 7-9.
Young photographers, check out the Montana Photo Workshop, Sept. 10-14. It's a bargain. Application deadline is June 23.
– Meg
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Jobs!
I came across this older article from Poynter: 5 platforms to help you find your next journalism job. One of the platforms is MEOjobs, a free curated weekly list of jobs around the country. We focus on Minnesota jobs here, but if you’re interested in other locations, keep an eye on this list and sign up for the free LinkedIn newsletter.
KARE-TV has four openings, for morning executive producer, morning photographer/editor, news anchor and news director.
WCCO is looking for an executive producer, a producer and a part-time video editor.
Press and News Community editor: Press News newspapers has an opening for a community editor in the northwestern suburban metro.
The Star Tribune is looking for a head of product, high school sports video reporter and investigative reporters.
Forum Communications is looking for a digital manager for its new Midwest Sports+ streaming platform.
The Minnesota Newspaper & Communications Guild, the union that represents workers at the Star Tribune, among others, is looking for its new executive director.
Remote: Tiny News Collective membership director
Remote: Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting director of editorial programs
Got an opening? Let us know and we’ll be happy to share.
– Regina
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Starting this list with the sad and bad news. The sad news: We lost some amazing Minnesota journalists this month. The bad news is layoffs and closures. But there is also plenty of good news, so read on…
The sad news
Chuck Haga was a big guy in both size and talent, and he is a big loss for regional journalism. Younger reporters looking to write with their own voice should spend some time with Chuck’s reporting. Chuck Haga, newspaper giant and gifted storyteller, dies at 75, Star Tribune. Chuck as an instructor: Remembering Chuck Haga, UND. His last column for the Grand Forks Herald in November: On Tuesday, I'll vote with pride. The Herald’s obituary.
Burt Cohen, founder of Twin Cities Business, wrote his own obituary, and it’s a gem. Retirement and health issues didn’t stop him: Media mogul Burt Cohen inspires Bloomington company’s aid for people with mobility issues, Star Tribune. TCB talks about his impact: Remembering Publishing Legend Burt Cohen.
Star Tribune reporter and veteran Twin Cities journalist Burl Gilyard dies at 58. Described as a “laconic and funny writer,” Gilyard died of complications from a progressive neuromuscular disease.
The bad news
Minneapolis Voices lays off editors Melody Hoffman at Southwest Voices and Brianna Kelly at Downtown Voices. Minneapolis Voices Publications Brace for 'Reset and Transition,' Racket. Unable to attract ads, Minneapolis Voices is going quiet for now, MinnPost. A Reset for Minneapolis Voices, Southwest Voices
American Public Media to sell popular Brains On! podcast, eliminate jobs, MPR News. Related: Molly Bloom, host of American Public Media’s “Brains On!” podcast, on creating educational content for kids in the Trump era
Star Tribune offers employees buyouts, Minnesota Reformer
Read and weep: Four newspapers in northwest Minnesota shutter, Star Tribune
The good news we all need
Welcome to the newest members of Minnesota’s professional journalism community: 51 journalism students graduated from the Hubbard School on May 18.
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G.G. hugs new grad Atra Mohamed at the UMN commencement. Photo: Regina McCombs
Many of those graduates are headed to newsrooms around the state — and many of them are new subscribers to this newsletter. Welcome!
WDAY's John Wheeler retiring after nearly 40 years, Fargo Forum
Rachel Stassen-Berger is returning to the Des Moines Register as new executive editor, Des Moines Register
The Minnesota chapter of AAJA is back! DM them on Instagram to be added to the group chat.
Forum Communications acquires MetroSports TV, launches new media brand, Sioux Falls Live
Three cheers for Lakeland PBS: PBS and Minnesota public TV station sue Trump White House. Related: Trump asks Congress to revoke $1 billion in already approved funding for public broadcasting, Poynter
Aron Pilhofer, Chief Product Officer at the Star Tribune, is leaving his position and headed to Chicago Public Media. Rumor has it he will be based in Minneapolis.
Chase Davis, head of the Star Tribune’s AI Lab, had his last day there last week.
Star Tribune restaurant critic Jon Cheng steps down.
Photojournalist Ellen Schmidt (UMN ‘18 and former MPR News intern) will be the new Catchlight/RFA fellow at MinnPost.
Lots of award winners!
TPT’s Relish is a James Beard nominee.
MPR’s Talking Sense wins a National Headliner Award.
Mara Klecker, Jeff Meitrodt, Leila Navidi, Amanda Anderson and MaryJo Webster at the Star Tribune also win a National Headliner award for Failing Grades.
Congrats to photo editor Peter DiCampo for being part of the 2025 cohort of the ProPublica Investigative Editor Training Program.
So many regional RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award winners! On to national competition… For large market TV: KARE 11 for Continuing Coverage and News Documentary, KARE 11 Investigates: Recovery Inc.; Excellence in Innovation, Fast Facts; Excellence in Video, Leave the Light On; Feature Reporting, The Gift; Hard News, Glock Switch; Investigative Reporting, KARE 11 Investigates: Gaps, Gags, Murder & Fraud; Sports Reporting, Mud Ducks; WCCO TV for News Series, D-Day 80th Anniversary: World War II veterans return to Normandy.
For small market TV, KBJR-TV, Northern News Now for Excellence in Video, Through the Ice.
For large market radio, MPR News for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Finding Manoomin: A search for the spirit of wild rice; Hard News, In the Boundary Waters, tragedy highlights work of all-volunteer rescue squad; News Documentary, The Breakthrough of ’48: When civil rights won the White House; News Series, Trouble by the water: Minnesota's vanishing natural lakeshores; Newscast, All Things Considered on Dec. 12, 2024; WCCO Radio for Breaking News Coverage, Burnsville first responders shot; Continuing Coverage, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz becomes the Democrat's choice for Vice President; Excellence in Writing and Feature Reporting, How Minnesota shaped the 'freewheelin' Bob Dylan; Overall Excellence, WCCO Radio.
For small market radio, WTIP North Shore Community Radio for Breaking News Coverage, Structure fire destroys historic Lutsen resort; Excellence in Writing, Owls’ Silent Flight; KAXE / KBXE Northern Community Radio for Digital, KAXE.org Multimedia News Coverage, including the 2024 Election Guide, Essentia Health’s decision to discontinue OB care in Fosston, Educators across the region working without contracts, Guide to Fourth of July fireworks and parades and Post-election analysis of the region’s political diversity.
Outside the region, local folks Todd Melby with Kate Smith get a regional Murrow for their podcast episode about one woman’s effort to save a West Virginia paper.
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CPJ, IWMF, PEN America, RCFP and Freedom of the Press Association launch their Journalist Assistance Network with a list of resources.
The Creativity Challenge: Want to feel happier, lighter, less stuck? Try these fun daily activities. New York Times
Why some towns lose local news — and others don’t, Nieman Journalism Lab
Opinion: Yup, Minnesota teens get their news from social media. But do you know why? Star Tribune
The case for local news expansion, News@Knight: There's a coming boom in the capacity and impact of the nation’s strongest local newsrooms.
How to stand your ground, in three (not so easy) steps, Margaret Sullivan on Substack
These newsrooms are trying to boost trust through transparency. Is it working? Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
How these new platform-driven news outlets are attracting young audiences, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
6 ways fundraising has become vital for all types of newsrooms, News@Knight
Laura Yuen: Community news is under threat as more Minnesotans cut their cable cords, Star Tribune
Investing in Creativity as Social Infrastructure, Springboard exec director Laura Zabel
News publishers see a surge of Facebook engagement from photo posts, Nieman Journalism Lab: “Facebook engagement came ‘roaring back’ for news publishers in the first few months of 2025, according to a new report.”
3 ways resilient nonprofits are navigating fundraising headwinds, Givebutter. It’s promotional, but has lots of useful information.
People who fear the Trump administration are asking editors to remove their names from old news stories, Poynter
Style Guide for Covering Communities of Color. Interesting project for use of ChatGPT!
Send us your local industry news and updates -- and jobs! -- to share with everyone.
– Regina
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School’s out, so the news is a little slow, but we can report that the four Report for Minnesota students have all begun their 10-week internships at their respective posts: Jasmine Shackleford at the Brainerd Dispatch, Evan Pederson at the West Central Tribune, Owen McDonnell at the Mankato Free Press and Danielle Fraher at KAXE in Grand Rapids. Gratitude to those organizations for hosting the students.
We also have two Hubbard School-funded interns working at Sahan Journal this summer: Yvette Higgins and Ava Grace. Thank you to Sahan for hosting them!
If you get a chance, check out our students’ Report for Minnesota Legislative Project stories done this past session. In addition to the two who worked with Forum News Service, the three students in our pilot program at the Capitol produced 36 stories for 23 Minnesota news outlets, reaching more than 95 communities across the state. Thanks to Mike Mulcahy for shepherding the editing of that project. Congratulations to all students who reported from the Capitol!
Looking ahead, 20 students are gearing up for the Hubbard Reporting Experience that will offer a 10-day boot camp immersion in digital and broadcast reporting on the neighborhoods around campus in early August. Stay tuned for more on the HRE 2025 experience.
Enjoy the break!
– G.G.
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The research team is traveling to Denver this week to present two papers at the International Communication Association’s annual conference. The first paper is “How Does Following News on Social Media Impact Political Engagement and Trust?” and focuses on findings from a randomized experiment conducted during the 2025 election, in which young adults across Minnesota were recruited and asked to follow MPR News on Instagram. They were surveyed before and one month after the election to measure changes in trust toward the organization as well as other political attitudes relative to a control group surveyed in parallel.
The second paper, “Public Events as News Engagement: An Audience Perspective,” led by postdoctoral fellow Meagan Doll and co-authored by Cydney Grannan, examines findings from a survey conducted with attendees of in-person events organized by the nonprofit news organization The Texas Tribune.
Both papers will be submitted to academic journals later this summer and the MJC will publish summary versions of the studies on our website to make the findings more widely accessible.
– Ben
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